I guess this proves that if a person, or organization, is skillful enough, they can quite easily manipulate the perceptions of the ignorant masses. Generalizations are a lot easier for people to understand than the subtle nuances, and people like to jump to conclusions rather than think things through.
I have noticed that with some people there is no "gray area", only black and white, and that is why a lot of innocent people get convicted. Those black and white thinking people need a villain to place the blame on so that they can feel a sense of justice and relief.

Having read so far, there are many likenesses to past characters. That witness in the first panel looks like one of the two giants, and the house of the reeve also looks like the giant house where the party butchered the giant women and children.